HRISE was heavily involved in lobbying our State legislators in favor or against a number of bills. We did not get everything we wanted, and we weren’t alone in our offorts regarding these bills. But it’s worth providing a document provided by the Virginia Grassroots Coalition that summarizes and analyzes the major provisions of the the Virginia Clean Economy Act. You can link to a copy of the document here: VCEA Analysis 5 Mar 20 Final (1).
HRISE Legislation Objectives and Mandates for the 2020 Virginia General Assembly
HRISE has prepared a set of objectives and mandates for the 2020 legislative session. These objectives and mandates will be used to guide HRISE legislative activities for 2020 and inform our legislators of what we intend to achieve this year, with their assistance. These objectives and mandates are discussed below.
HRISE LEGISLATION OBJECTIVES
In the upcoming 2020 legislation session, environment and climate bills should no longer languish in subcommittees. HRISE seeks to ensure the new legislation is bold in the face of the climate crisis. We believe that Governor Northam must fully commit to his promise for a 2% budget spent on Environment and Natural Resources requirements. The objectives of the Virginia Green New Deal (GNDVA,) Sierra Club, Virginia Conservation Network are very comprehensive, and we stand with these communities. From their intricate plans, we have selected our highest priorities – ones we feel are critical to begin on in year 2020.
We request our delegates and senators work towards achieving the following objectives.
HRISE BILL OF CLIMATE CRISIS LEGISLATIVE MANDATES
Recognizing the failure of the Federal Government to address the climate crisis, we urge State Government to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a just transition to a clean energy economy.
Moratorium on carbon/fossil fuel infrastructure projects (GND)
Cease all Infrastructure projects for carbon-based energy; they will require 30-40 years of use to make the investment worthwhile. Virginia cannot sustain 30-40 more years of burning carbon-based fuels. We support the immediate cessation of all new carbon/fossil fuel infrastructure projects – pipelines, compressor stations, etc. We agree with the following statement in the GNDVA: “A moratorium on new major fossil fuel projects starting in 2021, including any new generating facility, export terminal or pipeline that relies on any fossil fuel resource or expansion of any existing such facility.”
Legislate to ensure Environmental Justice is part of the new energy plan: “Environmental justice protections for communities that historically have borne the brunt of environmental hazards, including requirements that funding for clean energy projects and conversion to renewable energy be targeted to such communities.” (GNDVA)
Codify the Environmental Justice council with operational budgeting to develop policy.
Ensure Public Utilities align with Virginia policies in support of Clean Air and Water and protection of our resources
Dominion and other energy utilities exhibit oversized influence on energy/utility policy. The objective is to ensure that energy policy meets the needs of Virginia and works as part of the overall objective to mitigate climate change outcomes. The SCC mission to balance business and citizens interests must now consider the exigent needs of the climate change crisis. Legislation that ensures the public utilities do not have more power over legislation than do the citizens is an important objective.
Public Utilities must achieve 80% clean renewable fuel (0% carbon emissions) by 2030 and 100% by 2040
Different groups have different standards. The Virginia Coalition is targeting 2040, and the GNDVA is targeting 2035. Dominion is targeting 2050, still using Nuclear as a part of the renewable portfolio. The current nuclear plant will clearly be outdated by 2050; building new nuclear infrastructure with current technologies should be discouraged
Let Solar Happen in Virginia, unhampered by utility-based policies (Solar Freedom)
Removes barriers to renewable energy installations by utility customers, local and state Government; encourage the growth of the renewable energy industry and use in Virginia.
Eliminate Pollution Legacies
Allow localities the right to pass legislation to restrict/regulate single-use plastics. Recognizing that the troubled fracked gas industry is looking to the new plastics industry to save their investments — we need to be emphatic that single-use plastics are a burden on our environment for which manufacturers need to pay. Greenhouse gas emissions from plastics production are also a significant climate-change driver.
Coal Ash Pond clean-up: The legacy of coal burning means coal ash pond cleanup will take decades in Virginia – let’s make sure it is done and done right and the workers are not abandoned by the failing industry.
Fully fund the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Environmental Justice Council (EJC).
Water Protection
Climate change exacerbates flooding; above ground chemical storage, fuel storage, exposed coal ash, etc. are clear dangers resulting from flooding. We advocate establishing programs/regulations for permitting, monitoring and evaluating these structures and waste piles.
Transportation Transformation
Equitably transform transportation systems: Because transportation accounts for the majority of air pollution in Virginia, the current “asphalt-centered” transportation budget needs to be reformed, equitably. Transportation policy will need to understand the differences between densely populated areas and rural areas. The goal must be to reduce overall air pollution resulting from transportation.
HRISE has been active recently in several ways
U.S. House District 10
On March 10, 2019, several HRISE members met with Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton, who represents Virginia’s 10th District and her Outreach Director Tami Davis. Topics for the discussion included climate change, offshore drilling, and the Green New Deal. The group thanked Representative Wexton for joining with members of the Virginia Congressional delegation in sending a letter to the Secretaries of Interior and Commerce sharply criticizing the Administration’s plans for seismic testing in the mid-Atlantic waters and for her co-sponsoring HR 852 and HR 737. Representative Wexton confirmed her support for stronger environmental policies and encouraged the group to maintain contact with her on these and other environmental issues of concern via Courtney Callejas, her staff advisor on environmental issues.
As a follow-up to this suggestion, on April 24th, 2019 several HRISE members met with Courtney Callejas in Representative Wexton’s DC office. Topics for the discussion included climate change, offshore drilling, and the various legislative approaches to placing a price on carbon. Several bills on carbon pricing had already been introduced such as H.R. 763 and HR 1960. According to Ms. Callejas, Senator Schatz of Hawaii was about to introduce another one, which will likely have a slightly different approach. We noted that we were pleased to see that Representative Wexton had recently co-sponsored HR 9, Climate Action Now. Ms. Callejas also identified additional topics of interest to Representative Wexton, such as protecting Virginia lands, waterways, and the Chesapeake Bay; transportation and Metro; and offshore drilling. She encouraged us to continue looking into these issues as well as the others we discussed and continue to share thoughts on these topics. Planning is now underway to follow-up on these topics.
U.S. House District 11
On January 23, 2019, several HRISE members met with Congressman Gerry Connolly’s Legislative Assistant Jamie Smith and his Fairfax Outreach Representative and member of the Fairfax County’s Environmental Quality Advisory Committee Alex Robbins. Mr. Connolly represents Virginia’s 11th District. The meeting was follow up to a January 15, 2019 letter to Mr. Connolly describing several issues that HRISE has with the Trump Administration and asking for his help in investigating the issues.
Topics for the meeting with Mr. Smith and Mr. Robbins were climate change (particularly our intended departure from the Paris Agreement,) the loss of scientific expertise in government, the opening up and sales of public lands for exploitation of resources, and leasing of offshore tracts for fossil-fuel drilling. Mr. Smith and Mr. Robbins also provided the group with a wealth of information on the process of working in Congress and Mr. Connolly’s role in oversight. The group thanked Representative Connolly for his support of the Green New Deal. Follow-up letters and meetings are planned.
Five HRISE members met with Gerry Connolly’s Legislative Assistant Jamie Smith on August 28, 2019 to get an update on the Congressman’s activities and express some of additional concerns. We focused on the upcoming relocation of two major USDA offices out of the Washington area, a move clearly designed by the GOP Administration to reduce the application of science-based decision making to government policy. We learned that the Congressman was an early and active opponent of this move. Jamie also stressed other issues: the need to flip the Virginia legislature blue in November, the importance of state and local actions in environmental issues, and the importance of inspectors general in investigating the actions of government departments. We are lucky to have Connolly as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, providing him a critical “bird dog” role.
As a result of these meetings and considerable deliberation, HRISE is preparing a long-term plan for dealing with attacks on science and environment. More on this in the near future.
